Tag: outdoor exercise

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Running the Seasons: How Nashville Weather Keeps My Schedule on Its Toes

Written August 31, 2025

Hello Dear Readers,

The timing of seasonal shifts is like Nashville traffic—unpredictable, occasionally frustrating, and always in charge of my schedule. Every year, I play this little game of musical chairs with my running times. In the summer, I’m out the door around 7 a.m., sprinting before the sun decides to fry me. But when winter comes? You’ll find me jogging closer to noon, because I’d rather not reenact Frozen on the sidewalk.

Lately, the mornings have been sneakily chilly. I lace up expecting a mild breeze, only to feel like I’ve stumbled into an early winter audition. My gut tells me this week is when the seasonal baton officially passes: Friday will probably be my first “post-breakfast run” of the year. In winter, that little delay makes a world of difference—Nashville temperatures love to bounce around like a yo-yo, and waiting a few hours can turn a run from misery to manageable.

Of course, my body adds a bonus challenge. Thanks to my brain stroke, my thermoregulation works about as fast as a dial-up modem. Cold or hot, it doesn’t matter—my system takes its sweet time catching up. So I’ve become a professional “sweet spot” hunter, timing my runs and chores to avoid temperature whiplash.

At home, we keep the thermostat close to whatever’s happening outside. Once it’s above 90°F or below 55°F, we finally surrender and turn on the AC or heat. Otherwise, I try to let my body adapt naturally. Grocery stores, though, are a different beast—stepping into one during summer feels like walking into an Arctic exhibit, and my body protests the climate shift like it’s on strike.

I’ve learned that running earlier in summer helps me conserve energy. Last year, my pace actually improved as the season wore on—apparently, avoiding temperature drama frees up power for speed. These days, I’m glued to weather reports like a stock trader, shifting my running schedule and yard work around whatever Nashville decides to throw at me.

And here’s the kicker: August is technically still “summer” here. So while I’m pulling out hoodies for morning runs, I wouldn’t blink if next week brings a heatwave encore. In the meantime, I’ve penciled in mowing for Tuesday and Thursday. The cooler weather has slowed the grass’s growth compared to last year, but let’s be honest—my lawn and Nashville’s climate probably have a secret pact to keep me guessing.

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Spring Fever (with a Side of Pastry Bites)

Written April 14, 2025

reviewed 4/19

Hello, Dear Readers,

At long last, Nashville is flirting with spring. The weather forecast this week suggests we might finally be wrapping up the “breakfast season”—you know, the time when it’s still cool enough in the morning to sit down, sip something warm, and think about running. But let’s be honest: in this city, spring is always on a short-term lease. Summer’s probably waiting in the parking lot, engine running.

This morning, the air was balmy enough for shorts. A small victory. My wife, however, was not impressed—she stepped outside and immediately declared war on the pollen and pollution. “My eyes are burning,” she said. Welcome to Nashville in bloom: pretty, but armed with allergens.

The tricky part of days like this is timing. Wait too long, and the friendly warmth becomes a sweaty sauna. So I shifted my schedule accordingly. Efficiency is the name of the game in spring training—beat the heat or melt into the pavement.

My wife seems much perkier lately, probably because daylight finally aligns with her post-run cool-down. Meanwhile, I’m wrestling with the humidity—it clings like an overly enthusiastic hug. She mentioned a thunderstorm warning, but it must’ve RSVP’d somewhere else. Not a drop here.

I’ve been toying with the idea of adjusting my routine even earlier than usual. Nashville summers don’t play nice, so yard work and runs will need to be knocked out before the asphalt starts steaming. I’ve also made changes to my exercise schedule this season: instead of doing everything everywhere all at once, I now do one type of exercise per day. A civilized arrangement, if I may say so.

Despite the chaos of weather shifts and yard chores, I managed all 10 pullups in a single set today. Small triumphs deserve applause. But as the forecast continues to play mood-ring roulette, I’ll take a look at the 10-day outlook this weekend to finalize my tactical plan for next week—both for runs and for mowing.

Now, there is one flaw in this early-bird strategy: hunger. I need something in the tank before my run, and a protein shake would be perfect—if I didn’t have kidney restrictions. Alas, with protein limits breathing down my neck, I have to get creative.

Processed snacks? Out. Most protein bars? Also out. Even “healthy” foods are landmines with my salt, potassium, and phosphate restrictions. So what’s left? My trusty homemade pastry bites. They’re small, satisfying, and friendly to my dietary constraints. I slather them with my wife’s homemade jam—peach season is coming, and she’s gearing up for a full-blown jam session.

So yes, while others may carb-load with smoothies and power bars, I’ve got dainty pastry bites and fruit preserves—charming, old-school, and delicious.

And now, the trail (or sidewalk) calls. It’s warm, the sky’s clear, and I can already hear my running shoes whispering, “Let’s go.”

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Unexpected Connections on a Shortened Run

Written September 21, 2024

Hello Dear Readers,

Today, I ran shorter than usual. Earlier in the week, I was able to run at a faster pace, so I decided to scale down my 10k run to 5k. This also worked out with my wife and I’s other plans. We planned to shop for new running shoes since both of ours had exceeded their mileage. Running on worn-out shoes increases the risk of injury, so it was time for replacements.

During the day, I had a pleasant surprise—a neighbor I hadn’t met before came over to introduce herself. She lives in a house with a garden my wife has always admired, so I was happy to finally learn her name. My wife often sees her while running during the summer when the neighbor is out tending to her plants. Her garden really is one of the prettiest in the area.

She mentioned that bunnies had been nibbling on her plants, but they had since disappeared, likely due to a nearby fox. My wife had mentioned spotting a fox recently, though she wasn’t sure at the time, as it darted off quickly behind a house. It made her a little sad when I told her about the missing bunnies. She knows it’s just part of the food chain but enjoys seeing the rabbits around. Once, she even witnessed an owl hunting one, which left her quite upset. Early runs let you witness a lot of unique wildlife moments. On the other hand, I usually run a bit later, so I miss out on some of those events.

There are always people walking or running in our neighborhood. Most are friendly and enjoy striking up a conversation mid-run. Since moving to Nashville, I’ve met a lot of our neighbors this way. My wife runs early in the mornings and often sees familiar faces, but she doesn’t stop chatting much since she likes to start her workday early.

Meeting new people is always a good thing, and it’s nice to know more of our neighbors. Unfortunately, I forgot to pause my running app while talking, so it recorded the time I spent standing still at my average speed. Despite that, the app still saved the times, and the recorded run wasn’t completely off. At the end of the day, the numbers didn’t matter too much—what’s important is that I got in my exercise and got to know another neighbor, which is something I value in its own way.